ICT at key stages 1 and 2    (Year 3)

• Discuss ways of sending messages over distances, eg letter, radio, telephone. Describe some earlier methods of communication, eg signalling flags, bonfires, Morse code. Ask the class to think about the advantages and disadvantages of these methods, eg speed, confidentiality, permanence. Tell the class they are going to use e-mail to send messages to another school.

• Ask teachers at another school to get their class to send you a number of e-mails containing simple messages. Show the class how to open the mail box and read the messages. Ask each child to open a message, read it and reply to it. Discuss writing conventions, such as opening and closing remarks.

• Ask teachers at another school to get their class to send e-mails containing first drafts of short pieces of writing, eg poems. Remind the class how to open and read messages. Show children how to print a message and discuss the advantages of printing messages, eg allowing others to use the machine, providing a permanent record.
• Ask the children to print out the e-mails. Tell them that they are first drafts and that they are going to improve them. After the children have annotated the drafts by hand, show them how to send replies which include annotations that explain why they are suggesting changes.

• Prepare an address book with a number of e-mail addresses. Explain that addresses make sure that e-mails are received by the correct person. Demonstrate how to send a message by selecting an e-mail address from the address book.
• Tell the class that they are going to organise an event, eg a party for visitors from another school. Ask them to find out something about the children who will be coming by drafting questionnaires to e-mail to them (as body text). Suitable questions might include: how many are coming; what are their names; what do they like to eat? When replies are received, ask the children to print them out and to think of any further questions that they need to ask.

• Remind the class how to send e-mails. Show them how to attach a picture or text file to an e-mail. Ask the children to attach work that they have done in another unit to an e-mail and to send it to someone for comment.

• The techniques learnt in this unit can be used to enhance work in all later units. Some suggestions are given in the 'Points to Note' of other units.